One week ago, competing tournament organisers ESL and FACEIT unified in a $1.5bn merger and acquisition deal that shocked the industry. It was by far the biggest acquisition in esports since… well, the week before, when Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for $68.7bn (~£50.5bn). Savvy Gaming Group, an investment group launched by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, paid $1.05bn (~£780m) for ESL Gaming and is reported to have paid $500m (~£370m) for FACEIT. The two entities then emerged to form the ESL FACEIT Group. The acquisition has faced criticism by many over Saudi Arab…

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